A Bit Windy

Dutch2

Paul:
You ok? Cannon Beach was featured on the Weather Channel again. At 4:30 your time, Jim Cantore, the most feared man in America, was on the beach in your town. When they left the story about the high winds in your town their next story was about the hikers that are missing in your state.
Hope all is well....

Paul in Cannon Beach

The last three days have been interesting to say the least. My parents were in town visiting when the storm hit on Thursday. We lost power around 2 pm. One of the reasons they had made the trip was to see my daughter who is one of the "villagers" in the local production of "Fiddler on The Roof".

With no power, the play was cancelled so we sat around our living room and just talked. There is something about candlelight that is just.. different. It seems to bring out a greater sense of calm and community.

I didnt sleep much that night. Our house is on a hillside and there is a MASSIVE fir tree just above us. Every time a gust of wind would begin to howl I would just stiffen and wait for the CRACK of breaking wood and falling timber.

We awoke to a calm morning. Blue skies. Sunshine. And no power. The winds had left about an inch of sand on every hotel and house within a block of the beach.

Trees were down everywhere. An elderly couple was dead after their home burnt down after a candle was left lit.

What was amazing was how everyone came together. The place where I work has a large dining room and generator. The cooks powered up the kitchen and everyone who hadn't left for the holidays (we shut down the last two weeks of december) gathered for grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Kids played while the adults speculated about when power might be restored. As one of the few sources of electricity in town, every outlet was charging a cell phone or laptop. My co-workers played card games and put together puzzles.

Friday ended with another night of sitting around the living room, talking and enjoying the lack of "noise". No tv, no internet, no radio, nothing. My wife and I started talking about having Sunday nights be a "no electricity night"...

Saturday came and a neighbor came by with a generator. We threw out anything in the fridge that was questionable. For a couple of hours we ran the fridge and a few other essential appliances.

News came by Saturday afternoon that the power might be back on by 5 pm. As evening approached, I began to light the candles and prepare for the darkness. My daughters played quietly in the living room. The house was quiet. There is a nice rhythm to life without electricity.

At 6 pm, power was restored. With electricity came DVDs, internet, music, noise, light, news, etc.. It will be nice to take a hot shower. Do some laundry. Check my e-mail.

I was in the dining room of my work when power came on. One by one, my co-workers filed out. Back to their homes. Now that power has been restored we dont seem to need eachother as much. A jigsaw puzzle was left unfinished on a table.

So yeah, we are OK. In fact, I think I can honestly say I am thankful for the experience.